Front to rear loader



Aug- 26, 1959 K. SCHNEIDER 3,463,338

FRONT TO REAR LOADER Aug. 26, 1969 K. SCHNEIDER 3,463,338

l FRONT TOREARLOADER Filed March 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYS United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 214-504 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-propelled front end loader which gathers a load of material, such as earth, elevates it overhead and dumps it rearwardly onto a conveyor chute also mounted on the loader.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to earth moving or stockpiling machinery or the like in which a mobile, self-propelled vehicle has a front end loading bucket for digging and gathering material into the bucket and then moving the vehicle to a different position for depositing the material elsewhere.

It is known to also provide such loaders with self-contained conveyors for receiving the material directly from the bucket. An example of this prior art is shown in the U.S. Patent No. 2,746,625 which issued on May 22, 1956, to Schwartz, et al., wherein an overhead dumping front end loader places the load on a hydraulic pivotable conveyor (see FIGURE 8). Another example is the U.S. Patent No. 2,366,480 issued Jan. 2, 1945, to Beckwith which shows a dipper shovel loader wherein the conveyor is carried by the boom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a self-propelled loader for loading earth or the like, including a bucket swingably mounted at one end of the loader between a lower, material gathering position and a raised overhead position, and also including a conveying chute pivotally mounted adjacent the other end of the loader for shifting between a forward position in which it receives material from the bucket and a rearwardly tilting position for dumping the material onto a waiting truck or the like. A power operated linkage connects the bucket and chute so that when the bucket is in the material gathering position, the chute is in the rearward dumping position, and then the bucket and chute can be moved together for dumping of material from the bucket into the chute. The linkage arrangement is such that the weight of the -bucket and its boom is substantially balanced by the weight of the chute, thus providing the economy of power and a smoothly operating loader.

The present invention provides a mobile, compact, rapidly acting, highly eicient loader which reduces the range of tilt angle of the bucket, rapidly and completely empties the bucket without the necessity of maneuvering the loaders, increases the dumping height at the chute over that of a conventional loader, provides a nearly constant lever ratio on the chute, and the vertical positioning of the bucket is substantially balanced by the welglit of the chute. The linkage between the bucket and chute provides simultaneous movement of both in the appropriate direction.

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These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION 'OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a loader embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the bucket and chute moved to a diiferent position;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the loader shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view, showing a modified form of tilt means for the bucket.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The self-propelled vehicle shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention is a crawler tractor having a pair of endless tracks 2, but of course other vehicles having other ground engaging means, such as rubber tires, can also be used with the present invention. These vehicles have their own power plants, such as an internal combustion engine 3, and are maneuverable in front or rear direction or they can turn about by dr-iving the ground engaging means on one side in an opposite direction from the ground engaging means on the other side of the vehicle. An operators cab 4 may be provided on the vehicle for observation in several directions, and suitable rHuid pumps and controls are also mounted on the vehicle. For convenience, the vehicle provided by the present invention will be referred to as a loader. Reference will also be made to the front or rear of the loader, for convenience in describing the relative positions of the bucket and chute, now to be described.

A bucket 5, having a cutting edge in the form of teeth 6 along its front side, is vertically swingable on the front end of the loader by the two, laterally spaced lift arms 7 and 8 which are pivotally mounted on the loader on the transverse pivot pins 9. The bucket is pivotally mounted on the other ends of the arms on pins 10, for being tilted relative thereto by a tilt cylinder 11. Thus the bucket and its arms may `be considered as a swingable bucket assembly.

The tilt cylinder 11 is conventional and includes a cylinder member 12 in which a piston rod 13 is slidable between a retracted and extended position to thereby tilt the bucket. The tilt cylinder 11 is pivotally connected at 15 between the lift arms, and at 16 to the bucket, and additional linkage (as shown in FIGURE 4) need not be employed because the total tilt necessary with this invention has been substantially reduced.

FIGURE 4 shows a more conventional form of cylinder arrangement, which may be used for tilting the cyl-inder, wherein additional links 17 and 17a are interposed between the piston 13 and the bucket.

A bumper 18 is fixed between arms 7 and 8 and against `which a swingable chute 30, can abut, as will appear.

A lift cylinder 20 is provided for vertically positioning the lift arms 7 and 8 and their associated bucket 5, this cylinder 20 being pivotally connected at 22 between the frame of the loader, and to the lift arms at 23. The cylinder 20 is also conventional and includes the cylinder 24 and its telescoping piston rod 25.

The cylinders 11 and 20 are power operated in the conventional manner by the control of pressure fluid into and out of their cylinder, and are under the control of the operator in the known manner.

An elongated conveyor chute 30 extends longitudinally over the loader and is pivotally mounted, intermediate its length, adjacent the rear end of the loader at 31. More specifically, the chute has a pair of downwardly extending arms 32 at each side pivoted at 31 to spaced apart upstanding from member 33 of the loader, and the chute can swing between a forward, material receiving position shown in FIGURE 2, and a rearwardly tilting position shown in FIGURE l in which the material in the chute is unloaded by gravity into a waiting truck 35, or other vehicle. Alternatively, the material can be dumped on other conveying means, or directly onto the ground.

The chute has a stop plate 36 fixed to its forward, lower surface which abuts against the bumper 18 located between arms 7 and 8, when the chute is in the material receiving po-sition shown in FIGURE 2.

Connecting means are provided for tilting the chute in synchronism with vertical movement of the bucket, as follows. A chute link 38 is pivotally connected at 39 to the lower end of chute arm 32, and also to the lift arms 7 and 8, intermediate the length of the lift arms, as at 23.

OPERATION When the loader is in the position shown in FIGURE 1, the bucket is used to dig the material, and the bucket can be tilted by cylinder 11 to vary the attack angle of the cutting teeth 6. At this time the chute is in the rearwardly tilted position. After the bucket has been filled with material, the lift cylinder is extended to raise the lift arms 7 and 8 together with the bucket. As the arms raise, the rigid chute link moves rearwardly to thereby swing the chute to the forwardly inclined position about its pivot point 31. When the stop plate 36 of the chute bears against the bumper 18 of the arms, the bucket is then forcibly tilted rearwardly by cylinder 11, thus causing the bucket to empty into the chute. The bucket may be bumped against the chute in a vigorous manner to insure rapid and complete emptying of the bucket.

As soon as the bucket is empty, it is lowered again and the chute is simultaneously tilted rearwardly for unloading. Another digging operation can commence immediately.

With the present invention, the bucket can be unloadedy quickly without turning the loader and is instantly returned for another load. The angle of rotation of the bucket is kept to a minimum.

The entire operation is rapid and smooth, the weight of the bucket and its arms being substantially balanced by the chute, regardless of the relative positions of the -bucket and chute.

I claim:

1. A self-propelled, mobile loader, comprising ground engaging means for propelling the loader over the ground, a material bucket assembly swingably mounted adjacent one end of said loader for swinging between a lower material gathering position and a raised overhead dumping position, a conveyor chute pivotally mounted adjacent the other end of said loader and swingable between a forward material receiving position and a rearwardly tilting unloading position, and connecting means between said chute and said bucket assembly whereby as said bucket assembly is lowered, said chute is tilted rearwardly, and when said bucket assembly is raised to said overhead position, said chute swings into its forward position in material receiving relationship with said bucket assembly.

2. A loader as dened in claim 1 further characterized in hat said bucket assembly includes a bucket and lift arm means for swingably mounting said bucket on said loader, and said bucket is pivotally mounted relative to said arm means, whereby said chute can engage said arm means when the latter are in the said raised position and said bucket can then be forcibly abutted against said chute to dump material in said chute.

3. A loader as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that said connecting means is a link means pivotally connected between and to said chute and said lift arm means.

4. A loader as described in claim 1 in which said chute substantially counterbalances said bucket assembly through said connecting means.

5. A self-propelled, mobile loader comprising, ground engaging means for propelling the loader over the ground, arm means pivotally mounted at one end on said loader and extending forwardly of said loader, a material bucket pivotally mounted on said lift arm means, first power means to tilt the bucket relative to the arm means, second power means between the loader and arm means to vertically position the latter and swing said -bucket between a lower material gathering position and a raised overhead dumping position, a conveyor chute pivotally mounted adjacent the rear end of said loader and swingable between a forward material receiving position and a rearwardly tilting unloading position, and connecting means between said chute and lift arm means; whereby as said bucket is lower, said chute is tilted rearwardly, and when said bucket is raised to said overhead position, said chute swings into its forward position in material receiving relationship with said bucket.

6. A loader as set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that said connecting means is a link means pivotally connected between and to said chute and said lift arm means.

7. A loader as described in claim 5 which said chute substantially counterbalances said bucket assembly through said connecting means.

8. A self-propelled, mobile loader comprising, ground engaging means for propelling the loader over the ground, a pair of laterally spaced lift arms pivotally mounted at one end on said loader and having their free ends extending forwardly of said loader, a material bucket pivotally mounted adjacent the free ends of said arms, first power means to tilt the bucket relative to the arms, second power means between the loader and arms to vertically position the latter and swing said bucket between a lower material gathering position and a raised overhead dumping position, a conveyor chute pivotally mounted adjacent the rear end of said loader and swingable between a forward material receiving position and rearwardly tilting unloading position, and connecting means between said chute and said lift arms; whereby as said bucket is lowered, said chute is tilted rearwardly, and when said bucket is raised to said overhead position, said chute swings into its forward position in material receiving relationship with said bucket.

9. The loader of claim 8 wherein said connecting means is a rigid link, and said chute substantially counterbalances said bucket and its arm through said rigid link.

10. A self-propelled, mobile loader comprising, reversible ground engaging means at each side of said loader for propelling the loader over the ground, a pair of laterally spaced lift arms pivotally mounted at one end on said loader and having their free ends evtending forwardly of said loader, a material bucket pivotally mounted on the free ends of said arms, first power means to tilt the bucket relative to the arms7 second power means between the loader and arms to vertically position the latter and swing said bucket between a lower material gathering position and a raised overhead dumping position, an elongated conveyor chute pivotally mounted intermediate its length and adjacent the rear end of said loader, said chute extending longitudinally and forwardly over said loader and being swingable between a forward material receiving position and a rearwardly tilting unloading posi- A 5 6 tion, and rigid connecting means between said chute and References Cited said lift arms; where-by as said bucket is lowered said UNITED STATES PATENTS chute is tilted rearwardly, and when said arms are raised to said overhead position said chute swings into its for- 2347455 4/1944 Beckwith 214-148 XR Ward position in abutting relationship with said arms and 5 FOREIGN PATENTS said rst power means can tilt said bucket into material 1,054,709 4/1955 Franca dumping relationship with said chute.

11. The loader of claim 10 further characterized in ALBERT J- MAKAY Pflmafy Examiner that the weight of said chute substantially counterbalances U S C1` X R the weight `of said bucket and lift arms. 10 214-90, 765 

